Many operators are under the impression that modifying their kitchen to suit the condition of food allergy sufferers involves a full-scale remodel, duplicate equipment purchases and other expensive redundancies. The Spot Check curriculum trains establishments how to adapt their kitchens as is, with minimal expense and disturbance to existing food prep areas.

The Allergy Safe Certification training is designed not only to educate foodservice professionals on eliminating the risk they pose to food allergy sufferers, but the curriculum also is structured to help workers understand the allergy and sensitivity issues many customers struggle daily to manage.

Allergy Safe Certification : Train the Trainer

The Train the Trainer course is designed for manager-level employees who already hold an advanced food safety certification such as ServSafe Advanced Food Safety. Attendees who successfully complete the Allergy Safe Train the Trainer course and exam will receive a three-year certification and have the option to train and certify employees in their own establishment.

The course covers:

• Food allergy laws and regulations
• What is a food allergy?
• Food handling responsibilities per position
• Common sources of food allergy contamination
• Critical elements of a successful food allergy program

For our schedule of classes and to register online, check out our class schedule.

For more information, contact the Education Foundation at 877.695.9733 x 135

Photo: Devere Jerry Burtenshaw Lifetime Achievement award winner, Ben Goldie, with Anthony Anton, WRA president and CEO.

The winners were selected based on their community involvement, participation in the WRA’s organizational endeavors and their innovation as business leaders. The WRA congratulates each of these winners for leading the way in this industry!

Full Service Restaurant of the Year: Travis Rosenthal, Tango Restaurant, Inc.

Quick Service Restaurant of the Year: Bob Donegan, Ivar’s/Kidd Valley

Allied Member of the Year: Randy Irvine, Food Services of America

Devere Jerry Burtenshaw Lifetime Achievement Award: Ben Goldie, Cottage Cafe/Fireside Lounge

supporting these events. Please register for the golf tournament or give to our silent auction.

A fun way to support the industry Golf FORE! Education
Golf FORE! Education supports ProStart, our culinary arts program, and scholarships. ProStart touches the lives of students throughout Washington, many of whom are at risk teens. ProStart is a nationally accredited technical training program that is taught in more than 70 public high schools in Washington. And, it changes lives. Register a foursome and support our future.

The after party: Toasting the Finest & silent auction
After a day at spectacular Washington National Golf Club you’ll enjoy the finest Washington wines, micro brews and culinary fair prepared by award winning Executive Chef Duff. Toasting the Finest includes a silent auction and celebration of industry leaders in a festive atmosphere.

How you can support:

Aug. 16, 2011
Washington National Golf Club
14330 SE Husky Way Auburn, WA 98092

Dress Code
Proper golf attire and etiquette required. No denim is allowed at the facility.  Collared shirts with sleeves required.  Non-metal spikes required (spike changeout $10).

Schedule of events
11:00 a.m. – Noon – Registration check in
Noon  – Shotgun scramble and box lunches
5:30 p.m. The after party: Toasting the Finest

Lunch Sponsors:

Jennifer Dixon
Email: jdixon@WRAhome.com
Phone: 877.695.9733
Fax: 360.357.9232
Mail: 510 Plum Street SE, Suite 200 Olympia, WA 98501-1587

Past Sponsors Bargreen-Ellingson, Inc. Boyd Coffee Company Chef Works Coca-Cola ConAgra Foods Crown Royal Black Darigold, Inc. Duck Delivery Produce Ecolab French’s Food Services of America Kettle Foods Le Cordon Bleu Pearl Vodka Odom-Southern Distributors, LLC RestorX DKI Schwartz Bros. Space Needle, LLC. Talus Media Trident Seafoods

What’s up for your operation this year? A new POS system? New features? Better organization? Streamlined service checkpoints? Whatever you’ve determined needs a change this year, congratulations! As we all know, change is more than inevitable, it’s critical. As author and politician Bruce Barton once said, “When you are through changing, you are through.”

Unfortunately, change hurts. A lot. And many of us—and more of our employees—would rather suffer the way it is than face the unknown. But if everyone on the team doesn’t accept—and even embrace—the change, your chances for success are, well, close to zero.
Many operators tend to take a hard line when it comes to change… “a love it or leave us” approach that does nothing to motivate team members. And unmotivated team members forced to take on new tasks or revamp old ones become team members with low morale. Soon, your service, your products, and ultimately, your customers are suffering right along with your team members.

Instead, why not create a proactive team that causes change to happen, instead of being dragged along with it? Here are some tips on how to get your team on board:

• Tell the truth. If you ask team members how much profit a restaurant makes from $1 in sales, many would say around 75 cents. (Don’t believe it? Try it at your next staff meeting.) Here in the real world, we know that a dime is closer to the truth. Your team members should also know what’s at stake to make their operation successful. When introducing a change, share hard facts with your team. Include financial information, customer and employee feedback (that led to the need for a change), and industry projections and data from processes you measure (portion size, waste ratio, etc.).
• Worry them a little bit. “The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions,” said Ellen Glasgow, and she’s right. Change is critical. Your operation cannot succeed without it. No profits, no pay raises. No customers, no restaurant. It’s not a gloom and doom speech—and it absolutely shouldn’t monopolize the conversation about the needed change—but it’s important to note what the change will fix and why everyone on the team needs that solution. (And, if you can’t come up with some very compelling reasons for the change, ask yourself: “Am I sure it’s needed?”)
• Ask for input. After you’ve identified a change, conduct a team meeting to brainstorm solutions. If the change doesn’t require team input (and, again, make sure that’s truly the case), ask for ways that the team can effectively implement the change. Discuss all ideas, note, print out and implement the successful concepts, and monitor the progress of the implementation of the change… and not the change itself. Periodically, discuss the progress and don’t be afraid to revamp it as you go.
• Reward successes. All positive implementation efforts should be rewarded, regardless of the final success of the change. The effort is what you want to focus on. The strategy can easily be changed, but when morale falls, it’s very difficult to build it back up and get team members excited about trying again. Instead, recognize those working to implement change, reward team members when short-term goals are met, and include employees’ change efforts in employee reviews, compensation and promotion discussions.

Empower Employees During a Change

A change is an evolving process and your employees—and their success—are the strongest indicator of your change’s chance for success. Here’s how to empower them to think a bit outside of the box during a change:

• Trust them. It may not be the way you would do it, but it might work. And your willingness to trust an employee often outweighs the outcome of any failed attempt.
• Update them. Often employees operate in a vacuum, never hearing what’s working or what other employees—or customers—are saying. It’s hard to stay motivated if it seems nothing’s happening.
• Meet with them. When you regularly—and specifically—ask employees how changes are going, you’ll gather much-needed information, communicate your support and boost morale.
• Promote them. If an employee has been successful, empower him or her to show others how to do the same. Team leads and other roles move employees into new responsibilities that are often more rewarding.

The following sources were consulted for these articles:
“Change Management Lessons,” http://humanresources.about.com/od/changemanagement/a/change_lessons3.htm
“Accounting and Financial Analysis in the Hospitality Industry,” Jon Hales
Service That Sells! Monthly Update, January, 2004, http://www.RedBookSolutions.biz/sts_update.html

Communication is out of control – and it is taking the productivity out of an already overwhelmed and under-resourced workforce.

Business success and organizational effectiveness depend on communication of course; but poor and ineffective communication it does not. Poor communication is partly the result of ineffective communication skills, but it is also caused by being in too much of a hurry to communicate clearly.

What does the paragraph above say?

“I love mine.  It allows me to wake up refreshed every evening thereby enabling me to me be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the night shift.  The metallic retro design really goes with my cottage and I really like the squeaky springs and the new mattress just   complements the whole package.”

Not much clearer, is it? What are they taking about? The answer is – their bed. What were they trying to say? The answer – They really like their bed. Who knew!

So, what can you do to ensure you are communicating effectively and not overloading your employees with the fog above? Simplify.

• Get rid of the jargon and focus on the basics (“I really like my bed”).
• Break down complex issues into easy parts.
• Short, simply worded sentences achieve better results than long, complex ones.
• Keep it H.O.T. (Honest, open and two-way)

“Simple messages travel faster, simpler designs reach the market faster and the elimination of clutter allows faster decision-making.” – Jack Welch

Simple, direct language keeps people tuned in to what’s important. Simple communication doesn’t come from a simple mind. It comes from tough-minded clarity of thought. The best managers take responsibility for getting through to all employees, so just remember, keep it simple.

Kimberly Kelsey, Marketing Manager, Red Book Solutions / B2A

“We have some pretty impressive young people here with us tonight,” Turner said, referring to students Taylor Thompson, Amanda Bradeen, Casey Halifax, Rachel Shaffer and Nick Fox, who were accompanied by their dedicated teacher, Chef Karri Selby. Turner congratulated the students for their most recent accomplishments and thanked them for representing the state and city so remarkably.

The Puyallup team, which took first place earlier this spring in the state’s Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational in Spokane, competed nationally April 31-May 1 in Overland Park, Kan. against 315 student in teams from 38 other states, Guam and Puerto Rico. The students’ winning menu included an appetizer of truffled goat cheese panna cotta, tomato piquant and fried roti, followed by a main entrée of lamb two ways: Pistachio-crusted lamb loin and fried parmesan polenta with shaved Brussels sprouts and lamb carpaccio and tomato and radish sprout salad with chive oil.

“These students are going to be front and center in our restaurants in just a few years,” said Anthony Anton, WRA president and CEO. “As the state’s largest private employer, restaurants must have a ready supply of talented and high-achieving culinary minds. These students from Puyallup fall into that category, and we can’t wait to see where they go from here.”

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program for high school students that develops the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s industry leaders. From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-world educational opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime. ProStart is taught in dozens of high schools throughout Washington state.

The Puyallup team, which took first place earlier this spring in the state’s Boyd Coffee ProStart Invitational in Spokane, competed Sunday against 315 student in teams from 38 other states Guam and Puerto Rico. The students reprised their winning menu of menu that included an appetizer of truffled goat cheese panna cotta, tomato piquant and fried roti, followed by a main entrée of lamb two ways: Pistachio-crusted lamb loin and fried parmesan polenta with shaved Brussels sprouts and lamb carpaccio and tomato and radish sprout salad with chive oil.

“It’s really gratifying to see our Washington ProStart students achieve on a national stage,” said Lyle Hildahl, director of the Washington Restaurant Association Education Foundation. “Those students and their teacher, Chef Karri Selby, are remarkable examples of this industry’s training ground and the caliber of future professionals who are being developed for the workforce. Well done, Puyallup.”

Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF, said the students’ knowledge, skills and expertise were inspirational at the Sunday night awards gala.

“This is a tremendous achievement,” she said. “We have in this room top talent.”

Overall, the NRAEF awarded $1.1 million in scholarships to the five winning teams in each category. Additionally, several culinary schools and colleges offered scholarships to the top three teams in each category.

For more information about Sunday’s competition, including a list of the winning teams, check out the NRAEF’s coverage.

The National Association of Catering Executives Greater Seattle Chapter is hosting its annual fundraiser on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Seattle’s premiere waterfront. Bell Harbor on Pier 66 features 180-degree panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains, Mt. Rainier, Elliott Bay and the Seattle skyline; this offers an unforgettable Pacific Northwest setting for fund raising and fun-raising.

WHEN
Thursday, May 12, 2011  6:00 PM – Thursday, May 12, 2011  10:30 PM
Pacific Time
WHERE
Bell Harbor International Conference Center
2211 Alaskan Way, PIER 66, Seattle, WA 98121
Attire
Cocktail
FEE
Event Registration
Member Rate $65.00
Member Spouse/Partner $65.00
Non-Member Rate $65.00

View Event Summary
View Event Agenda

Funds from this event will benefit the Foundation of NACE, your Seattle NACE Chapter, as well as our new charitable partner, ProStart, a two year vocational school to career program for culinary arts and hospitality students.

We are diving right into our NACE mission statement to provide for the future and growth of our hospitality community.   This year we consider Food For Thought: Enhancing the Culinary Experience.  ProStart student volunteers will be assisting in your dining experience throughout the evening.  They will assist the Bell Harbor culinary team in creating and serving this 4 course dinner featuring a local and sustainable menu that was designed specifically for this grand occasion.  Don’t forget to save room for dessert and get your choice of hand made desserts donated by ProStart students and NACE members in the Dessert Dash!

Of course there will be plenty of valuable live and silent auction items to purchase.  Some items include cocktail gift baskets, 5th Avenue show tickets, premiere restaurant gift certificates, incredible overnight vacation stays, and much more. Consider all the upcoming Summer fun you can have with these incredible purchases!

Entertainment will include mingling magic with Nash Fung and Nate Jester, as well as an amazing stage show during dinner with Nate Jester, Ace of Illusions. Your evening will continue after dinner with live music by Rock Factor Five so you can dance the night away and work off all that complimentary wine!